Russian beacon "L"

[Looking-Glass]

For the chasers/collectors of Russian Naval beacons of the single letter type.  This morning I chanced upon a new one, and not on the current Russian Beacon/Marker list...

1958z  5.156.8MHz  CW  "L" St Petersburg Russian Naval beacon, Neva River & Gulf of Finland. Very clear 419 report on my morning Grey Line.

[Teotwaki]

How was the location identified?

Jim

[Looking-Glass]

It's listed on the Russian Naval beacon and marker listings, although frequencies do vary, the list is fairly accurate.

[Teotwaki]

It's listed on the Russian Naval beacon and marker listings, although frequencies do vary, the list is fairly accurate.

Which list do you use? link?

This one https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Letter_beacon   lists multiple Letter L beacon frequencies of  5156.8, 7038.2, 7041.8, 8494.2, 8497.9

This one has none  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_beacon


Thanks

[Looking-Glass]

There are a few sources on the net for the Russian marine or cluster beacons, you will get a result via Google.  A friend in the UK sent me a PDF file which is well worth reading and sending to Desktop:

MX - Russian HF Beacons

by Ary Boender

15th November 2014

Another worth reading and keeping a copy of is the following in PDF (extensive Russian one letter beacon lists on pages 36, 37 & 38):

An Introduction To Beacon DXing

by Alan Gale G4TMV

December 2012

You have to remember that the listings are a guideline only and the beacons do come and go, and quite often, change frequency.  I find both of the above very helpful.  Alan Gale informs me that he is in the process of reviewing and updating his publication in the coming weeks. Jack VK2XQ

[Teotwaki]

There are a few sources on the net for the Russian marine or cluster beacons, you will get a result via Google.  A friend in the UK sent me a PDF file which is well worth reading and sending to Desktop:

MX - Russian HF Beacons by Ary Boender 15th November 2014

Another worth reading and keeping a copy of is the following in PDF (extensive Russian one letter beacon lists on pages 36, 37 & 38):

December 2012

You have to remember that the listings are a guideline only and the beacons do come and go, and quite often, change frequency.  I find both of the above very helpful.  Alan Gale informs me that he is in the process of reviewing and updating his publication in the coming weeks. Jack VK2XQ

Thanks Jack. The 2014 Ary Boender PDF is not available via Google as far as I can see. I tried sending an email to Ary to see where it can be downloaded.

MX has a five year old 2012 PDF on line at  http://www.numbersoddities.nl/MX-profile.pdf  MX
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Russian HF Beacons, a.k.a. Single Letter Beacons, Single Letter High Frequency Beacons, Radio Beacons, Cluster Beacons, Channel Markers

Alan Gales 2012 article is still here:  http://www.ndblist.info/beacons/beacons.pdf  so an update would be good.

Jim

[Teotwaki]

MX - Russian HF Beacons

by Ary Boender 15th November 2014

Ary replied pretty quickly. Apparently there is no 2014 article? He just pointed me to the 2012 article at http://www.numbersoddities.nl/MX-profile.pdf

Jim

[Looking-Glass]

Strange there Jim, as the copy I have from the article Ary wrote & published, which I quoted a few box back on this page, is dated 15th November 2014 and has a picture of a Russian warship on the intro page.

Would be interested in any updates you may come across Jim, I like tracking those single letter Russian beacons...Jack VK2XQ.

[Teotwaki]

Strange there Jim, as the copy I have from the article Ary wrote & published, which I quoted a few box back on this page, is dated 15th November 2014 and has a picture of a Russian warship on the intro page.

Would be interested in any updates you may come across Jim, I like tracking those single letter Russian beacons...Jack VK2XQ.

Hi again Jack,

Ary just wrote back to me and attached a PDF copy of the 2014 article that you have. I cannot attach it here as the forum limits us to 256K. If anyone wants it send me a PM with your email address and I'll email it to you. Once it is posted at UDXL I will post that link. Ary said he hopes to update the 2014 version some time this month.

Jim

[Teotwaki]

Ary emailed me and said the site has been updated to provide the 2014 version at http://www.numbersoddities.nl/MX-profile.pdf

Jim

[Looking-Glass]

Jim, this may be dated, year 2000, but still worth a read and providing yet more insight to the Russian single letter beacons.  Let me know what you think.

www.cvni.net/radio/nsnl/nsnl032/nsnl32mx.html

Jack

[Teotwaki]

Jim, this may be dated, year 2000, but still worth a read and providing yet more insight to the Russian single letter beacons.  Let me know what you think.

www.cvni.net/radio/nsnl/nsnl032/nsnl32mx.html

Jack

That is a great read. I was especially interested in the author's Russian source. In some other stories there was talk that the FCC performed direction finding to determine locations. I would have thought that was something that the US Military would have accomplished with the big WullenWeber elephant cage DF antennas.  http://www.premium-rx.org/ref/wullenweber.pdf

[Josh]

The nsa employs lots of US mil folks to tune in to Russia and other nations hf comms, and has remote unmanned operations they can listen via around the globe. You can be sure someone or some thing is listening to everything the Russian military and political elites emit, looking for the unusual that will give the game away.

[Looking-Glass]

It's not only the Russians, you should come over here and tune from 4MHz through to 16MHz at night, hordes of Asian voices on SSB and many mystery CW stations that pop up any where at any time, out of Asia.

Who are they? Where are they? What are they talking about?  Are they legal stations?  Sometimes I think the Russians are the least of our worries, just check out the problems now in the South China Sea.

I was reading an ICAO report on the effect that these Asian radio pirates or whatever are having on HF aviation communications in this region.  It's only a matter of when they cause a disaster or accident concerning aircraft.

The article on Russian beacons and markers on CVNI maybe be dated but still informative, glad you like it Jim, I have it saved and put across to Desktop for cross referencing.

Jack